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The Age of the Universe

How to Reconcile Torah and Science

By Pinchas Taylor

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The Age of the Universe: How to Reconcile Torah and Science

Can we reconcile the Torah’s narrative of creative with the prevailing scientific view on the age of the universe?

Topics:

Evolution, Age of the Universe, Creation, Torah & Science

By Pinchas Taylor

Rabbi Pinchas Taylor, an inspirational young scholar, is a sought-after educator and speaker. He lives in South Florida with his wife Miriam and serves as the Director of Adult Education and Outreach at the Chabad of Plantation. He is the author of two books which you can view and purchase here.

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9 Comments

Per S Sweden December 17, 2022

Considering that the Torah says that there was day and night before the sun and moon was created I would assume that there is more to the story than simple solar time.

The first day was the creation of day and night. So perhaps the Torah is saying that before there can be something in the physical it first has to exist in the spiritual.

Because the physical is dependent upon the spiritual. So any distinction in the physical must have preceded with a distinction in the spiritual.

Everything created in the physical first has to be created in the spiritual. But creation in the spiritual is instant while creation in the physical takes time, perhaps a lot of time, perhaps millions of (solar) years.

But that there is a seven day week I believe is because the Torah is written to create a link between the worlds, between man and God, so that the work on earth correspond to the work of God, in order to harmonize the two worlds and the works of God and Adam (man). Reply

Sholom August 26, 2020

I listened to Gerald Schroder and he mentioned the oppi\osite that it was 6 literal days on earth but appeared to be billions of years due the rapid growth of earth on. The first day (based on the Ramban that the earth was the size of a mustard seed). Reply

Brad August 29, 2018

The Age of the Universe I heard some time back while watching a nature program, that reptiles and many marine animals (unlike mammals) never stop growing until the day they die. One method of determining the age of a Great White Shark, is to measure its size. The lifespan of some reptiles such as turtles and crocodiles, is comparable to that of human beings (70+ years). For argument sake, assume the biblical chronological record is accurate and antediluvian humans lived 600-1000 years. It would also be fair to assume that creatures with a lifespan similar to ours today, would be similar to that of humans before the flood. A boa constrictor or shark (that does not stop growing till they die), that lived 600-1000 years would be extremely large, and would explain the fossils of titanoboa and megashark found today.
Those who hold to intelligent design of earth and universe, do not dispute the existence of dinosaurs. They do for the most part believe that dinosaurs lived contemporaneously with mammals. Reply

c ny May 25, 2017

Still doesn't explain why dinosaurs are found. they never existed? Reply

Anonymous December 19, 2015

Geocentric Remarking that a day is independent of night and day [e.g. at the north pole], and thus day and night could have existed without the sun, can only makes sense if you are of the opinion that the 'Solar' system is geocentric. Reply

Arno Gorgels Potsdam November 3, 2015

The current idea of Big Bang and age of universe aren't correct. These will be abandoned soon. Reply

Arno Gorgels Potsdam August 26, 2020

in response to Arno Gorgels:

The mistake of physicists is that they only go by their eyes and interprete and interprete, no matter what the consequences are. They deny the principle fundamental order as is given and shown in the Torah. Reply

Bradley Ponsart Coquitlam November 3, 2015

Maturity a Key Element for Life Adam and consequently Eve, were created as fully functioning mature adults. They were capable of reproduction so we know they were not just visually mature, but physically mature. The same is true of trees and animals. The same would have to have been true for the rest of the physical universe, in order for it to have been capable to sustain life. Rivers, mountains, valleys all had to have been created mature with all the things necessary to maintain the biological life that had been created. Erosion, a certain amount of decayed material in the soil, silt, loam, clay would have all needs have been present. All things being relative, if Adam appeared to have been 30-50 years old, and his lifespan without intervention was 600-1000 years it is only logical that the universe was also created, with the minimal amount of maturity built into it for life to have been sustained within it. I find it strange that I have never heard this scientifically logical conclusion, from those wiser than me. Reply

M. Mark D. California April 1, 2017

in response to Bradley Ponsart:

I would agree, and state also the word 'complete' would also apply, in the sense that there was 'no need for further created aspects as the earth was/is complete'. Life sustaining aspects of 'need' were all in place, we need the sun, we need the moon, we need water, we need plant life, we need food, we need day and we need night. We as humans need male and female. The Bible says 'on the seventh day God rested'. All was done perfectly and purposefully exactly ad the Bible states. The evidence is abundant and signigicant. M. Mark D. Reply

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